It's a Date
by purplefern
Summary: It's the end of sixth grade year. Melvin has finally survived Jerome Horwitz. He just has to make it through this last awful school dance thrown by Mr Krupp. He was expecting it to go as boring and awful as any other year, but that all changes when Erica asks to go with him to the dance. (Also George and Harold ship it and are doing their best as wingmen.)
1. Chapter 1

_This is my attempt to upload my text fic from AO3. It looks a lot nicer on there because of the way AO3 works, but hopefully this is still comprehensible. If it's not leave a review and let me know and I can try to fix it. _

_Follows Chpt 6 of my oneshots, but you don't need to read that to understand this. Just know that it's the sixth grade year, Melvin has chilled out a lot, and he and Erica have been texting back and forth for about a year._

_**As of 5/4/2020: Being reformatted! Let me know if this is more readable!**_

* * *

**Erica**

* * *

**Melvin:** Hi Erica

_3:20pm_

.

**Erica:** Hey what up

_3:20 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Another year, another one of Mr Krupp's insufferable dances.

_3:21 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Ohh yeaaaaahhh. It's that time of the year isn't it?

_3:21 pm_

_._

**Erica:** So what's the awful theme this year?

_3:21 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I think he decided on insurance. But with Mr Krupp it's a bit hard to tell. It could also be car shopping.

_3:22 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Of course, Krupp wouldn't know what either of those look like.

_3:23 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Oh! BURN!

_3:23 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** George and Harold are already planning ways to make the dance "more interesting"

_3:25 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I'm not sure which is worse.

_3:25 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Those goofballs.

_3:26 pm_

_._

**Erica:** You're in 6 grade now, man. If you hate the dance so much Just skip it.

_3:27 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I can't skip it precisely because I'm in 6th grade.

_3:28 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I'm almost free of this school I'm not doing to do anything to jeopardize that.

_3:28 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Oooakaay

_3:29 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Your loss.

_3:29 pm_

_._

**Erica:** If I were there the dance would be way more fun. I can promise you that.

_3:30 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Elitinati doesn't even have any dances. :(

_3:31 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** They are very fortunate.

_3:31 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Anyway, I was working on coding for this project and was wondering if you had any ideas.

_3:33 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** It makes it a third of the way through execution and then gives an exception error.

_3:33 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I can send you the .java file

_3:34 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Did you make sure that the counter starts at 0?

_3:36 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Ah.

_3:41 pm_

_._

**Erica:** And there it is.

_3:42 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Hey

_3:49 pm_

_._

**Erica:** What if I went to the dance with you?

_3:51 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Melvin?

_3:56 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Ok. If you want to Erica

_4:00 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I'm not saying that I don't want to, to clarify.

_4:00 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Just that you don't have to if you don't want to

_4:01 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I DO want you to go with me

_4:01 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I mean, I want you to go if you want to. It doesn't have to be with me.

_4:01 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Melvin, chill.

_4:02 pm_

_._

**Erica:** If it makes you so stressed maybe I shouldn't.

_4:03 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** No! I'll go with you. It's fine.

_4:03 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Cool.

_4:04 pm_

_._

**Erica:** So when's the dance?

_4:04 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** This Friday, at 5 pm.

_4:05 pm_

_._

**Erica:** Well, freckles, you better get your good bowtie. I'll see you at the dance. ;)

_4:05 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Ok

_4:07 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Wait. Won't you get in trouble for sneaking out?

_4:10 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Elitinati's a boarding school isn't it?

_4:10 pm_

_._

**Erica:** You only get in trouble if you get caught. ;)

_4:10 pm_

_._

**Erica:** See you Fri

_4:11 pm_

* * *

_Hopefully this was good. I usually don't write anything like this... _

_This story should be about three chapters, with the last one coming a little slower because it's actual fic and not just texts. _

_Hope you enjoyed, R&R, see you next chapter. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Alright chapter 2 here we go. Took a little longer to post this one because ugh formatting. (Also this is my first time posting from mobile. Fingers crossed that it works.)_

* * *

**George, Harold**

* * *

**Melvin: **I need your assistance.

_4:44 pm_

.

**George:** What blew up now?

_4:50 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** ...why is that your automatic assumption?

_4:51 pm_

_._

**George:** Dude, you've had our numbers for over a year and you only text when you wrecked something

_4:52 pm_

_._

**Harold:** Tru

_4:52 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Well, it's not that.

_4:53 pm_

_._

**Melvin: **Erica wants to go to the dance with me.

_4:58 pm_

_._

**George:** Woah

_4:59 pm_

_._

**Harold:** Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaatt O_o

_4:59 pm_

_._

**George:** Our little man is going on a date

_5:01 pm_

_._

**Harold:** So good

_5:01 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** It's not a date!

_5:01 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** She's going as my friend and because she wants to find a way to make the dance less boring.

_5:02 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** You know she doesn't like me like that.

_5:02 pm_

_._

**George:** But you like her like that

_5:03 pm_

_._

**Harold:** https/watch?v=non8leyx9aM

(link to It's a Date song from DuckTales)

_5:03 pm_

_._

**George:** XD

_5:04 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** It's not funny!

_5:05 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Why did I even text you two…

_5:06 pm_

_._

**Harold:** Because we're your friends and you're nervous about your date?

_5:07 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Not a date!

_5:07 pm_

_._

**George:** If it's not a date, what's the problem?

_5:07 pm_

_._

**George: **You know Erica

_5:07 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Because even if it's NOT A DATE, I still don't want to do something wrong.

_5:10 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** You may have noticed that I...don't have the best people skills.

_5:14 pm_

_._

**Harold:** Don't worry. Erica gets you.

_5:16 pm_

_._

**Harold:** And she's super chill anyway

_5:16 pm_

_._

**George:** Buuuuut that doesn't mean you couldn't use some improvement

_5:17 pm_

_._

**Harold:** OH! We can be wingmen!

_5:17 pm_

_._

**Harold:** I've always wanted to be someone's wingman.

_5:17 pm_

_._

**George:** We would be the best wingmen

_5:18 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** Do either of you actually know what a wingman is?

_5:19 pm_

_._

**Harold: **not realy

_5:20 pm_

_._

**George:** kinda

_5:20 pm_

_._

**George:** Don't worry. We got you

_5:20 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I feel so assured...

_5:21 pm_

_._

**George:** Were gonna get you ready for your date

_5:22 pm_

_._

**Harold:** Haha XD

_5:22 pm_

_._

**Melvin:** I swear..

_5:23 pm_

* * *

_Alright so there we go. Next chapter's gonna be a couple days because it's actual normal fic and also ugh real life and responsibilities.__See you then, hope you enjoy the story, RR etc_


	3. Chapter 3

"Hmm,no" remarked George from where he sat upside-down on Melvin's bed, "Not that one either".

Melvin huffed and untied yet another rejected bowtie, complaining, "This is completely unnecessary. It's just the Jerome Horwitz dance, no one ever has any standards for it. Plus I'm running out of bowties to try"

George had not been joking when he said they were planning to get him ready for his "date". Minutes after ending the conversation, Melvin had answered the door to find George and Harold on his doorstep, eager to get him to try on every outfit he owned (which was, to their disappointment, about two). They had been at this for about an hour, and nothing had been achieved.

"Well, you asked for our help, didn't you?" replied George, still hanging upside down but trying to look at him anyway, leaving him craning his neck awkwardly.

"Yes. But not for choosing an _outfit_. That doesn't matter. I asked for your help so that I don't say or do the wrong thing when I'm with Erica"

"You know, you keep saying this isn't a date, but you make it sound exactly like a date" remarked Harold unhelpfully.

"What would you know about a date? None of us have ever been on one!" protested Melvin.

"Pretty sure TV has told us all that we need to know about dates" replied Harold with no hesitation.

"And TV tells me that the outfit matters a lot when you go to the dance with someone" added George, who had finally gotten up to look through the possible choices for Melvin's wardrobe.

Melvin sat down on his bed and held his head in his hands, his shoulders tense and hunched as he despaired, "You two are no help at all. I'm doomed. I'm going to do something wrong, and Erica will hate me again, and I am going to hold you two responsible".

Despite his harsh tone, George and Harold had gotten to recognize Melvin's moods over the couple of years that they had all been friends. They could tell that this was getting to be seriously-stressed-and-insecure-Melvin. Dropping their blithe attitudes and jokes for the moment, they sat beside him on the bed so that he was sandwiched between them.

"Do you really think you could do something to make Erica hate you?" asked Harold sympathetically.

"Possibly" he replied, stress still clear in his posture, "After all, I managed to make everyone hate me previously, so clearly I have the capacity to do so again"

"You know that that's different" said George, resisting the desire to roll his eyes at an insecurity that they had had to deal with time and time again, "We've been through this".

"What George means is" added Harold pointedly, "That that's all in the past".

Melvin did not look any more assured. He _tried _to be. He knew that they _had _gone over this multiple times, and by now he should just know that people didn't hate him and that he was doing better but somehow it just never seemed to sink in all the way.

"You and Erica have been hanging out for a while now, right?" asked Harold, trying to find a way to boost Melvin's confidence.

"We've been communicating since the end of last year" he confirmed.

"See?" assured Harold, "She's been fine with you. She wouldn't have asked you to the dance if she hated you".

"But that's communicating through _text_" Melvin cried out, gesturing angrily, "I have unlimited time to carefully think about what I say then. It won't be anything like that Friday! I'll have to talk to her in person. And every time I try to talk to someone it always goes wrong. After all, you two are only my friends because _you_ reached out to _me_! All _I_ can do is ruin things with people before they start"

At the end of his confession, Melvin slumped sadly forwards, his elbows on his knees and head once again held in his hands.

"Psshh" responded George, attempting to smile reassuringly, "That's not true".

Melvin turned his head slightly and gave George a look that said _really?_.

"It's _not._" George insisted, "You're fine at talking to people. You haven't even started a conversation with an insult for months!"

"A high bar indeed" replied Melvin sarcastically, "Thank goodness the standard for talking to Erica is simply to not insult her".

George threw his hands into the air, exasperated, a silent admission of _I'm done_. Picking up the baton, Harold said, a bit more helpfully, "Well, what about at Erica's going away party? You talked to her then and everything seemed to work out, right?"

Melvin considered this, admitting, "I suppose that's true".

"Yeah, see? You've talked to her before, it'll be fine" reassured Harold, he then added, "And I still say that even if you do say something dumb, Erica won't care. She's too cool".

"I would never say something 'dumb'" retaliated Melvin, looking offended, but clearly a lot less stressed than he was before.

Harold rolled his eyes goodnaturedly at Melvin literalness and George jumped back into the conversation, "It all worked out. Now that that's dealt with we can get back to the important thing: finding an outfit!"

Melvin fell backwards onto his bed, groaning "No more". (He couldn't understand how George and Harold kept finding new ways to combine his limited wardrobe. If this went on any longer he was going to start calculating the permutations to try and endure this torture). To his relief, George relented.

"Ok, fine" huffed George, disappointedly putting back the umpteenth outfit option.

"We should probably both get home anyway" said Harold apologetically, checking the time on his phone, "My mom wanted me to be home by 6:30".

"Oh, right" agreed Melvin regretfully, feeling slightly more confident from the pep talk but still uncertain what to do come Friday. "We can discuss this further at a later time"

"Alright. See you tomorrow, Melvin" said Harold, waving over his shoulder as he left the room and soon the house.

Melvin, still sitting on his bed, returned the wave before staring thoughtfully into the distance and worrying his lip. George slung an arm around the genius' shoulder, ripping him out of his thoughts. "I have to get going too. But Melvin" at this the usually joking George turned serious, a supportive smile on his face, "Don't worry so much, ok?" After a beat, Melvin gave the slightest of nods, and George's grin widened. Jumping off of the bed, he ended in a lighter tone as he made his way to the bedroom door, "I mean, you've got us helping you, after all. What could possibly go wrong?"

Sighing, Melvin said, deadpan but internally grateful for George's support, "Goodbye, George".

"See ya!" chirped George in return as he went out the door, unfazed by Melvin's tone.

As he left Melvin's house, George jogged to catch up with Harold. When he finally made it to his best friend, he paused to catch his breath, before suggesting, "I think we need to have a talk with Erica".

"Me, too" agreed Harold. They were interrupted in their shared plan when both of their stomachs grumbled loudly. "But after dinner" suggested Harold sheepishly, and George nodded in agreement.


	4. Chapter 4

_(Formatting is the worst. FF won't cooperate with me. Grr.)_

* * *

**Erica, Harold**

* * *

**George:** So we heard someone asked someone to the dance

_7:00 pm_

.

**Erica:** Oh, no.

_7:01 pm_

.

**Erica:**

I should have expected this.

_7:01 pm_

_._

**Erica:**

But for some reason I didn't think he would tell you.

_7:01 pm_

_._

**George: **Well he did

_7:03 pm_

_._

**Harold: **Hey Erica

_7:09 pm_

**Harold: **You know Melvin still has a crush on you right?

_7:10 pm_

.

**Erica: **I wasn't sure.

_7:12 pm_

.

**Erica: **We've only talked through texts for like a year.

_7:12 pm_

.

**George: **You know he's taking this not date seriously tho

_7:13 pm_

.

**Harold: **Yeah. Hes realy stressed bout it

_7:13 pm_

.

**George: **Why'd you even ask him to the dance?

_7:14 pm_

.

**Erica: **Because I wanted to.

_7:15 pm_

**.**

**George: **cmon. Thats not an answer

_7:21 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **Elitinati can actually be freakin boring

_7:26 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **The kids here are squares

_7:27 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **And Melvins not?

_7:27 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **huh?

_7:27 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **The tech kids can build a spaceship in a day, but they have no passion

_7:28 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **Their ship isn't creative

_7:29 pm_

**.**

**Erica:**They don't even name it

_7:29 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **They don't even seem to like talking about inventing!

_7:30 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **But, like, they invent things!

_7:30 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **I'm lost

_7:31 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **What does this have to do with asking Melvin to the dance?

_7:31 pm_

**.**

**George: **Yeah! Stop dodging the issue!

_7:32 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **The point is Melvin is different from those guys

_7:35 pm_

**.**

**Erica:**He has passion for his inventions.

_7:36 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **He's creative, unlike all the boring stem guys here

_7:36 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **He's always enthusiastic about what he's doing when he's texting me about it

_7:36 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **Its sweet

_7:37 pm_

**.  
Erica: **I realized I kinda missed seeing him and his crazy contraptions.

_7:38 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **So I asked if I could go with him to the dance.

_7:38 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **It sounded like a fun idea

_7:38 pm_

**.**

**George: **But like don't you still live here tho?

_7:40 pm_

**.**

**George: **You could just visit him

_7:40 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **Elitinati is a boarding school

_7:41 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **?

_7:41 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **It means that I live at the school?

_7:42 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **EW!

_7:42 pm_

**.**

**George: **GROSS!

_7:42 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **Erica I am sooo sorry you have to go thu that

_7:42 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **sigh

_7:43 pm_

**.**

**George: **Anyway so what ur saying is that you like Melvin :3

_7:43 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **So you asked him on a date :3

_7:43 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **That's not exactly what's happening here.

_7:44 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **But sure.

_7:44 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **Whatever you guys say.

_7:44 pm_

**.**

**George: **Now we difineitly have to make this dance interesting

_7:45 pm_

**.**

**George: **Our friends ain't dancin to waiting room music

_7:45 pm_

**.**

**George: **So Erica what kind of music do you like?

_7:46 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **So good.

_7:46 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **Wait if you guys are planning something I want in!

_7:46 pm_

**.**

**George: **Nope!

_7:47 pm_

**.**

**George: **It has to be a surprise

_7:47 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **It better be a good one then

_7:48 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **Or you two will regret it

_7:48 pm_

**.**

**Erica: **JK! :)

_7:49 pm_

**.**

**Harold: **Haha

_7:50 pm_

**.**

**George: **Ok see you Friday Erica ;)

_7:51 pm_

* * *

_So another text chapter bites the dust. I wanted to get back to Erica, and really think about what it is she would like about Melvin, and explore why she decided to ask him to the dance. _

_The next chapter is going to be awhile, it's the actual dance and it's actual, like, normal story, so that'll take some time. But for now I hope you enjoyed these last couple chapters. R and R see you all at the dance. _


End file.
